Hi All, Im new to tradegang. I have a few basic questions about the Damon Howatt Hunter. I have heard people say it is one of the best production bows ever made. In you opinions is this true? Also, if so are certain models better than others? I just purchased a Hunter serial # hh 1156 can someone explain one how to tell the model year? This riser is birch laminate i believe.
I don't know much about the serial #'s but I do know the Hunters are great bows. I hunted with one all last year. Very smooth, quiet, and fast.
Oh, and welcome to the Gang! :wavey:
They are excellent bows in my opinion,I have had a few of them.My current Hunter is a 2008 model,great shooter that is fast and quiet.Your model sounds like a 80's model with a brown laminate riser and is a Dacron bow.I have had a couple of the older ones.I prefer one made 1995 or newer,they will have black fiberglass tips and can handle the new modern low stretch strings.The bow feels more solid to me and quieter with a low stretch string.
Thanks Rob!
Thanks for the info John.
I own two and my son owns one. We love them as they are smooth drawing, fast and well made. There was a thread on here a while ago about serial numbers you might do a search and find it.
My 2cents - you can spend a lot more and not do better. these a great bows.
I just bought a late 60's early 70's hunter with solid rosewood riser and black glass 28@40#s for $75
from a fiend. It looked terrible, but when I cleaned and polished it, it came out looking like new. What a great shooting bow.
Rick
Great bows, smooth, fast and quiet!! I have been shooting and hunting with one since 2006. There's one in my avatar on the 8 pointer,,,
John, I am new to the Traditional game. Would you recommend a 58" string for the 62" hunter? Also, i see you have a 55#er that is what i have, what arrow string combo works best for you?
First bow that I ever owned and hunted with back in the 80's. I never shot any bow better. I have since moved on to a longbow but really miss that bow. I purchased the Martin version many years ago and enjoy shooting it.
58" - 59" string will work
I make all my strings for my bows recurve or longbow 3" shorter then the AMO.My 2008 Hunter took a 59" string,brace height recommendation is 7" to 7&3/4".I shoot mine at 7&3/8",thats were it shoots great for me.
I think the bow is one of the best production bows made in all aspects. I've had a few, but prefer the pre-76 versions which was the year that Howatt was purchased by Martin. I prefer to try pulling the bow before buying since I've found a few actually heavier (5-10#) than what is marked.
It's certain that Bear made many more bows than Howatt, and Bear may have some better lookers, but the Hunter is a winner.
If it helps my #55@28 Hunter liked 30.25" CE Heritage 250's with 250 gr. up front. I draw 29".
Very simply it is a 1991...and it is just as good a bow as my 1992...I am thinking the Larry Hatfield has indicated on another site that the material is something other than birch...in case you do not know Larry is the one who designed that bow when he worked for Damon Howatt
DDave
Thanks Rob I appreciate it.
58" string at 7 5/8 brace height. I shoot Goldtip 55/75 Hunter carbons tipped with 150 grain, (I wouldn't go any lighter than 150gr. head in my opinion),. I shoot fast flight as well. You may want to fiddle with your brace height to find your sweet spot.
Howatt made good bows. I would not feel slighted at all with a decent Howatt bow, be it a Hunter, or a Super Diablo or any of the others.
My very first "real" bow was a Howatt Coronado.
ChuckC
I owned two and both scaled three lbs over marked wt.
They both also added a mere 2.5lbs per inch over 28 out to 31 inches. That is excellent design performance.
My draw is 31 inches and these bows will be smooth out to that draw no problem.
I found them not so easy to quiet, but not any worse than any other recurve. I added limb tip padding which helped a lot.
Joshua
They draw smooth and hit like a hammer what could possibly be wrong with that?
John. I actually had some old 55/75 gold tips laying around from an old compound that i used to shoot. I put on some 125 grain field tips, cause that's all i had. I did'nt shoot great, but the arrows did go where i pointed. If i added another 25 grains it might be okay. I'll give it a try.
Thanks!!
I love them.
I've had more expensive custom mades than I can count, and I have no problem picking up one of my Hunters.
A GREAT bow.
nothing wrong with hitting like a hammer. Hope I get a chance to introduce a whitetail to it. #if its brown its down. lol. And it does seem to hit the target with a lot of authority.
I've been looking for one to go with my other vintage Howatts and just picked one up off the auction site. Should be here next week !
I've killed more big game with my Howatt Hunter than any bow I ever owned. It's still a great shooting bow and still manages a hunt now and then after owning it for more than 35 yrs.
I have one of the Howatt "Purpleheart" Hunters that I believe came out in the mid 90s. I think it's one of the prettiest hunters they put out, with a possible exception being the early rosewood models. I find that it draws pretty smoothly but does begin to stack at my 28" length. It is very quiet and stable though. In a 62" production bow, I find the browning explorer II to be a little smoother with no stack.
Gangers,
I have a Damon Howatt Hunter that should be at the house tommorrow. The package was delayed due to weather. :banghead:
Yall got some photos of Howatt Hunters in action, or just the bow?
Here is one, not me of course, nice buck with a Howatt curve... ;)
(http://i1139.photobucket.com/albums/n559/jeffbschulz/Mels204WR_zpsemyjlwrh.jpg) (http://s1139.photobucket.com/user/jeffbschulz/media/Mels204WR_zpsemyjlwrh.jpg.html)
I have the Hunter and the Hatfield - both are great shooting bows. They are comfortable in the hand and shoot with authority.
Josh, ignore all the previous posters! That DH Hunter is absolutely unsafe for YOU. Few new HH owners understand that the Howatt Hunter has "explosive" limbs that can only be properly "defused" by shooting several thousand arrows through it. You should probably send it to me for safe disposal.
Had one that was an original Damon Howatt that I picked up used @1978 an hunted for @18 years. Had it refinsihed by Martin and traded it any to someone in ID, I think? Wish I had it back. Pulled a few more pounds than the marked 65#, but she was smooth and fast.
:thumbsup:
Spent many years with a Hunter in my hand. Fast and accurate it's the bow in my avatar.
The bow came today! I rigged her out with a toothbrush arrowrest, B55 bowstring. and a Selway quiver. She is heavy girl, but at 7.5" BH she is shooting good enough to take to South Texas Wednesday. Maybe a javalina is on her future. Would be my first Left Handed. Hopeful. :D